


Popped Tire

by MisSuzyQ



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2014-09-16
Packaged: 2018-02-17 15:05:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2313821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisSuzyQ/pseuds/MisSuzyQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A date night goes terrible but Soldier won't stand idly by!</p><p>Got the idea after hearing the song, "Radio Sweethearts" by Kate Rusby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Popped Tire

Thick rust colored mud threatened to swallow up Soldier’s finest shoes. Before Soldier found himself knee-deep in the ditch pushing Engineer’s truck in the rain, the shoes were a shiny raven black that went well with his deep slate suit that was accented with thin, dark grey pinstripes. He had sacrificed a fair chunk of his wallet for the whole thing; the fancy shoes, the pinstripe suit, the deep turquoise vest a shade lighter than the matching tie, all things to make him look like a clean cut man. Even more mud splattered over his coat when Engineer applied the gas but Soldier didn’t give much thought of how much money would evaporate from his nearly non-existent funds to cover the suit’s damage.

However, Engineer gave very much thought to Soldier’s new suit. Though his shoulder was against the headlight, he could envision it perfectly. “Dammit,” he muttered as he tried to not press hard on the gas. It wouldn’t budge. He floored it, gritting his teeth. “Dammit dammit dammit!” That time the truck shot backwards into the road. When it did, Engineer felt he was at a slant. Soldier could be seen in the headlight as he tilted his head. There he got a clear view of the suit’s condition. He looked down at his clean Western suit coat and flung his white ten-gallon hat at the passenger’s seat. The hat rolled out the door when Soldier entered the cab. He sat his muddy body down after he picked up the hat.

“Hey, Dell,” Soldier said, “I think you found a nail or something.” His words were falling short on Engineer who was now staring at the dancing lightning bolts in the distance. “We can just get your spare from the back and go. Dell? Can you hear me?” He threw the accessory at Engineer’s face.

Very slowly, Engineer shook his head, not willing to drift his eyes to his right. His voice had a bitter hint to it as he responded, “I loaned that tire to Sniper this morning, remember? Planned on going to get a new one tomorrow. But why the hell wouldn’t that backfire on me too?” There was a pause for the thunder. “Just like how I planned tonight ta have a nice, fancy meal and just like I planned to go to a honky-tonk bar and dance with ya.”

“Well, you couldn’t have known we’d get some crazy maggot threaten our ‘unmoral godless fag’ lives while waiting in that line for the steakhouse! Or that it would start storming! Or that the line would jump us just because I tackled down that prick and gave him what he deserved! That dumbass should have known better to pull a knife on me when I had a gun!” The fact that the attacker nearly got him a few times before he had pulled out his shotgun was something he forgot.

“ Ain’t I just stupid to think we could pull that off?” Engineer slammed a fist onto his dashboard. “To think we could go out in this here town without anyone giving us shit?”

“No you aren’t-”

“’Course I was stupid! And it’s all my fault! I nearly got you killed all cuz-”

“Dell, it’s not-”

Engineer snapped his head in Soldier’s direction. “Shut up,” he shouted as he hit the dashboard harder. Normally being yelled at made Soldier yell back and attack, but in this case, he was still. “It is and ya know it is! So just shut up and, god, lemme just, god!”

Tightly Engineer closed his eyes, creating a dark world for him to wallow in as he implanted his forehead into the steering wheel. Though the rain pounded on the roof of the truck and the radio played quietly, he heard no sound.

They were only here because of him. He said they should go out. He said it would be nice to have a fancy dinner. Only because he said. Soldier wouldn’t have otherwise. Soldier scrapped together his money for that dinner. Soldier wasted all that hard-saved money to look handsome. Soldier looked so handsome he couldn’t stop looking at him. He couldn’t keep from holding Soldier’s strong hand. If he only resisted maybe no one would have caught on. But because of him…because of him…it was all because of him.

Watching Engineer sink deeper into self-loathing, Soldier listened to the radio. It sounded like a country waltz was playing. Like something he had hoped to hear on the dance floor at the bar. Ever since he had put on the suit, he had been imagining it. Those dim neon lights would have made Engineer look even better, if that was physically possible. He ached for that dream; to hold Engineer close while they moved to rhythm of music. Without hesitation, Soldier exited.

A knock on the window beside him pulled Engineer from his melancholy thoughts. “Jane?” Quickly he looked to the empty passenger seat, then back out the window to see Soldier motioning him to roll down his window. “What the hell is that boy doing?” He rolled the window all the way down to hear why Soldier was in the pouring rain, grinning at him with a playful look in his steel blue eyes.

“Mister Dell Conagher, it is a lovely evening out tonight.” Raindrop trickled down over Soldier’s temples. Lightening flashed, thunder roared. He turned around with his fist in the air. “You better stop that, God! I’m trying to be romantic for my man! Tone that down right now or I promise that you’ll be sorry whenever my time comes!” A hush rumble of thunder began while the pouring rain shifted to a light drizzle. “Thank you.” He popped his coat collar and returned his attention to Engineer. “Like I was saying, tonight is a lovely night, Dell Conagher. It’s the sort of night that’s good for waltzing.”

“Is that right, Mister Jane Doe?”

“It is! In fact, nights like these are when I pick a rugged man to take by the hand and waltz with him.” He reached his dripping right hand into the truck with his rough palm facing upwards. “Tonight I pick you. What do you say?” 

Engineer wasn’t in the mood. Really, he wasn’t. But something in him couldn’t say no. “Only if an’ you back off so I don’t hit you with this here door.” Soldier walked backwards a few steps and held out his hand. Pulling out the key from the ignition and pushing the lights button off, he was ready. He slowly opened the door and with his real hand grabbed the strong hand that had waited patiently for him. As he was pulled closer, he kicked the door shut. “Who all have ya picked before me anyways?”

“Oh, there’s lots of other guys that want to be picked but I only picked you.” Soldier held Engineer’s hand firmly and lightly rested his left hand on Engineer’s right shoulder blade. “And I only intend on ever picking you.”

Engineer felt his face grow warm, making it impossible for him to resist smiling for a moment. His gunslinger hand was placed on Soldier’s muscular bicep .The touches weren’t too powerful but they felt incredibly sturdy. Maybe that was why his heart was beating rapidly as he stood only an inch away and looked him in the eyes despite having been even closer to this man on many occasions. As he rested his right arm onto Soldier’s, he remembered the radio. “Ah, I just took our music.” 

“It’s alright. Next song would have been someone complaining about their dead lover.” There was much relief when Engineer laughed. “Besides, I’m music enough!” With that, he began to hum a song slightly out of rhythm. His left foot stepped forward and they began to move in any direction his feet took him.

Engineer couldn’t help but feel lighter as they stepped around, rising on the balls of their feet and falling in time, swaying and swinging as they traveled, turning together in tight circles, waiting for the slightest command from Soldier’s hands. By the time Soldier raised his right hand and gently pushed his shoulder blade, he couldn’t help but emerge from the graceful twirl with a wide smile on his face. Soldier twirled him around again, except this time to orbit him. He was beaming bright in the pitch black night. Even the off-beat humming wasn’t bothering. Still though, he had to say, “boy, you sure dance the six steps well but you just ain’t humming it right.”

“Oh yeah,” Soldier asked in a sarcastically mad tone. He dropped his left hand for them to lead together with his other hand for a few steps. “Well if you have problems with my vocals, how about you take over?”

“Much obliged.” Loudly, Engineer began humming a country waltzing tune while being spun outward and tugged back in. It felt endless. Them gracefully drifting around in the abandoned road, being turned and twirled and spun until he decided to lift his hand to twirl Soldier. Clunky were Soldier’s movements as he tried to duck and spin and progress forward under Engineer’s arm. “Woo-wee! Would you look at that!”

“Well how about you look at this!” Bending over, Soldier scooped up Engineer and spun around.

“Yee-ha!” When his feet touched the ground, Engineer wrapped his arms behind Soldier’s thick neck, leaned forward and pressed his lips against Soldier’s. The kiss was met eagerly. Soldier’s lips were pressing back, sliding a tongue to venture around his mouth before pulling away. As he burrowed his face into the side of Soldier’s neck, he could feel two hands on the small of his back that pressed his torso into Soldier’s. Both of his eyes were closed, allowing him to absorb more of the touch and the steady, slow rocking of their feet. “I’m sorry I was awful to ya earlier, Jane. I was just so mighty pissed. It just ain’t right, you know?” Fingernails ran up and down his spine.

“Don’t worry about it. They aren’t the first person to try to send me to hell and they sure won’t be the last.” Soldier lightly rested his cheek on Engineer’s forehead. “They can’t get people like us so the only thing they can do is try to kill us. I’d like to see them try!”

“Oh, you know they’re just jealous ‘cuz they want a fine lookin’ man such as yourself attached to their arm!” Soldier laughed. “But really, it ain’t just the mean mother-hubbers.”Engineer rubbed Soldier’s shoulder. “I know I twisted your arm inta this. Ya spent so much money on all this just ‘cuz I wanted it. I shouldn’t’ve and I’m sorry.”

For a moment, Soldier was silent. Searching for the right words in his brain, he took a breath before speaking. “You know, I always wanted to take you out and dressed up for you. I just had the money when you asked. I’m just so, well,” he tightened his arms around Engineer. “I’m so proud to have you.” The grip across the back of shoulders was stronger. “I want to show the world that you’re mine. I don’t care if someone blows my face off because you’re not a woman. I just want them to see the magnificent man at my side and how grateful I am to have him.”

“I’m just so lucky I got someone like you.”

“Me too. You’re the most important thing I have and I want everyone to know.”

Engineer tenderly kissed the skin above Soldier’s collar. “Jane, I love you so much more than all the words I got.”

“I love you beyond what I can comprehend, Dell.” 

Everything soon became silent when the drizzle subsided. Together they kept moving as if they were the only two beings in the world. Occasionally Soldier would glance at the resting truck. After Engineer gave Sniper his tire, Soldier had dug a good tire from the dump and threw it in the bed of the truck. At any moment Soldier could remind Engineer of that fact. That would require stopping to fix the truck. He didn’t want to stop. Not now anyways. Perhaps in five more minutes. Or maybe even in an hour. It didn’t matter. Time is nothing when you’re dancing to the natural rhythm of the one you cherish most.


End file.
